Serious question. While I may be on vacation, the events that effect me, family, friends, and this country, are never too far from my thoughts. I know many of you were not very happy with our former President Bush. Whatever your reasons, I'm sure they were sincere, most notably his actions in taking us into Iraq. Many of you may have voted for our current President, for precisely that reason. Many of you may have voted for Obama, because you supported his "pledges & promises". Many of you may have voted for him because you're dedicated Democrats, and their agenda. All of which is perfectly reasonable, even rational.
But here's my question....are the same folks who voted for Obama seriously ok with how he's running the country?
Ok, let's say you really support immigration reform, or absolutely support the idea of universal healthcare. Again, very sincere, well intended ideas. The way things are supposed to function in this country is that Congress passes laws, the President & Executive branch executes & enforces the laws, and the Judiciary clarifies any confusion with the law. But you say Gary, what if Congress & the President can't get anything passed? Well, the answer is, they work together to make things pass, or the electorate gets to rethink their decisions at who they voted for every 2 years.
How it's NOT supposed to work, is for a President to unilaterally decide what laws the executive branch is to enforce, and which ones they're going to ignore.
How its NOT supposed to work is for a President to unilaterally decide, using his "pen", to enact executive orders to supersede current law.
How its NOT supposed to work is for a President to take existing law and then decide for himself what portions will be implemented, and which ones won't, based on nothing more than what's politically palliative.
How it's NOT supposed to work, is for a President to claim he can "borrow power from congress" to enact whatever he wants. I must have missed the Borrowing Clause when they taught us about the Constitution in school.
But Gary, you say, other Presidents have written far more executive orders than Obama has. To which the response is, the vast majority of those executive orders had nothing to do with rewriting existing law. But Gary, you say, we need to reform immigration law, or reform energy policy, or whatever agenda item you might be supportive of. Here's my response....when A Republican does return to the office of the President, you'll have no problem with said Republican President imposing whatever he wants, based on what he believes needs to be imposed?? An executive order that everyone must own a firearm?? A command to the Justice Dept to stop enforcing Roe v Wade??
You think these questions are outlandish? You can think that I suppose, but the precedent being set is current reality, despite of what you think of my questions. Is that what folks really want.....and Imperial Presidency or one that follows the rule of law, despite how hard things can be to get passed? It's a simple this or that question
